Page 76 of Our Sins in Silver (Coven of Sin 3)

“Those old fucks are going to try to take the throne away from me the moment they hear that Thomas Knight is back. So, I want to waltz in there like I own the place. And what better way to do that than slathered in the cum of the mate I stole from my father?”

“That’s a good point, but it’s a dangerous game, Ruby.”

“Good. Dangerous games are the only ones I’m any good at.”

I caught the ghost of a smile lurking at the corner of the priest’s mouth. “You get that from your mother.”

Chapter thirty-three

Salus Mea

AquickflashofSterling’s cell phone screen as it lit up the room announced that it was just an hour after sundown. Earlier than I thought. He called Kenzie, who seemed to be the only staff in the house whom he allowed in his den and asked her to bring me a change of clothes.

My entire body pulsed when he instructed her to pick “something tasteful, but make sure it exposes her throat.”

When the call ended, he stuck the phone into the pocket of his sweats and crossed to the blood bar in the corner of the room.

I pulled my nightgown shut—knowing we’d have a visitor any minute—and sat myself on the sofa to watch him dig around in his mini-fridge. He peeked over his shoulder, the muscles in his bare back glistening under the sheen of sweat I’d helped him work up. “Do you have a favorite blood type?”

I shot him a sultry, if somewhat sleepy, grin. “I prefer vampire blood.”

“That’s a powerful stimulant with little nutrients,” he admonished lightly. “We haven’t done an acceptable job of feeding you mortal food. At least human blood is typically a semi-decent source of calories.”

A smile touched my lips. That was Sterling, protective and stern in his role as my mentor when it came to vampire stuff. It was funny, considering he’d been railing my brains out literally seconds ago—animalistic and voracious in his need for me.

I gave in with a sigh, lamenting not biting him during our mating. “I don’t have a favorite. Universal?” I scrunched my nose. “That’s O negative, right?”

He nodded, looking pleased as he pulled a bag from the fridge and poured the thick liquid into a glass. When he strode back to the couch, I perked up at the scent rolling off the glass he passed me. I was hungrier than I thought. I sputtered on a gulp when he crouched in front of me with a damp rag in hand.

“I told you I don’t want to wash before the meeting. If all the Elders are still so in love with their old king, I want them to know you’re mine now. Not his.”

“Ruby. You carry three of my marks. The Elders will still scent me on you, with or without the evidence of our deed crusting your flesh.”

Worrying my lip, I gave in, spreading my legs and lifting the hem of my nightgown.

When my scent hit him, his foggy pupils contracted, and goosebumps emerged over the skin, stretching his vein-wrapped forearms. “God’s teeth. You’ve no idea how electrifying it is having my scent bleeding from between your thighs.”

I gasped, almost dropping my glass when he touched the cool cloth to my throbbing center. The rough texture of the fabric over my sensitive flesh was sublime torture.

When my hips began to move of their own volition, seeking out more friction, Sterling paused. “If we didn’t have more pressing matters at hand, I wouldn’t allow you to leave this room until I’ve properly bred you.”

“How is a line like that supposed to stop me from letting the world burn while you show me exactly how you’d make good on that promise?” Guilt pressed when my mind briefly strayed to Vincent and the choice I’d have to make...if we survived the next few days. I pushed the niggling worry away, allowing Sterling’s touch to drown out the noise in my head.

I swore when Sterling’s phone dinged and lit up with a text from Kenzie. “She’s here,” I told him before he could activate the text-to-voice feature. Setting the cloth to the side, he pulled the hem of my robe back over my knees and urged me to finish my blood before rising to let our guest in.

When the redhead entered, she hurried over to me with a bright smile stretching her freckled cheeks. “Ruby! I mean, Princess,” she corrected, catching Sterling’s disapproving scowl at the familiarity. Her gaze roved over my neck, where the fresh mating marks had begun to fuse shut. There were a dozen questions in her eyes that I could only begin to guess. What was going on? Was it true the old king was back from the dead? Who had I picked for my king? Or were the Elders even still entertaining putting me on the throne now that it was out that I wasn’t my father’s heir and Sharpe had lied to get my brother on the throne?

Even if we had time for me to catch her up, I didn’t have the answers to most of those questions.

“I brought you a dress that Mr. Kamathi has made especially for you.”

I stared blankly at her, not recognizing the name.

“That would be Tau,” Sterling said, sensing my confusion. “Isa’s mate. He’s quite a skilled tailor. He can make clothes that will hug you like a glove without having to measure you. Just one glance is enough for him to make the perfect fit. He makes most of the coven’s wardrobe.”

“Oh, right. Thanks, Kenzie. We’ll catch up later.” The smile slipped from her face some when she caught the quality in my tone that suggested I wasn’t sure there’d be a later.

When she left, Sterling turned to me, a deep crease between his brows. “Our human staff are intuitive. We can’t give them any reason to worry.”

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